Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' to be auctioned
The iconic Christina Stambolian gown is expected to fetch up to £220,000 at Sotheby's on December 9.
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Includes named Sotheby's officials and quoted press release, but only one outlet.
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Uses vivid adjectives but stays within factual reporting about the auction.
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A dress worn by Princess Diana to a party in London in 1994 is to be auctioned by Sotheby's on December 9. The custom-made black silk evening dress by designer Christina Stambolian was worn by the princess to the Serpentine Gallery party on the same evening a documentary aired in which the then-Prince Charles admitted to marital infidelity. The dramatic appearance led to the media dubbing the gown the 'revenge dress'.
Sotheby's expects the dress to achieve a price of up to $300,000, which equates to approximately £220,000. This marks the first time the dress has been offered for auction since 1997, when Princess Diana sold 79 of her garments to raise funds for charitable causes. The auction house stated that the dress is expected to fetch a considerably higher sum than the vintage Jaguar XJ40 car that transported Diana to the event, which sold for £66,250 at auction earlier this year.
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Fashion as a message
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, commented in a statement that Princess Diana possessed an innate understanding of fashion's communicative power. Halimi said that Diana transformed the dress into a significant personal statement during a period of intense public scrutiny and emotional turmoil. She added that Diana reclaimed her narrative through her choice of attire at a time when her story was largely being dictated by others.
According to Sotheby's, Anna Harvey, who was Princess Diana's stylist at the time, stated that the princess aimed to 'look a million dollars'. Diana made a last-minute decision to wear the strapless Christina Stambolian evening dress, accessorising it with royal jewellery, a black clutch bag, and black shoes for the fundraising dinner.
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Previous sales of royal items
This potential sale follows other significant auction results for items belonging to Princess Diana. In 2023, a sweater featuring a distinctive black sheep motif among white sheep, also sold by Sotheby's in New York, achieved £920,000. The 'revenge dress' is anticipated to surpass the price of the car she arrived in, but its final sale price remains to be seen.
Questions this report answers
+When will Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' be auctioned?
The 'revenge dress' worn by Princess Diana will be auctioned by Sotheby's on December 9. The auction house expects the gown to sell for up to $300,000 (£220,000).
+Why is the dress called the 'revenge dress'?
The dress earned the nickname 'revenge dress' because Princess Diana wore it to a party at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 on the same evening a documentary aired where Prince Charles admitted to adultery. Her appearance in the striking black gown became an iconic moment.
+What is the expected sale price for the dress?
Sotheby's anticipates that Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' will sell for up to $300,000, which is approximately £220,000. This is expected to be significantly more than the £66,250 achieved by the car she arrived in earlier this year.
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